The third Olympic Games were held concurrently with the Louisiana Purchase Exhibition in St. Louis, Missouri.

As in the 1900 Paris Games, poor planning and poor organization made the sports competitions a sideshow to the larger fair. While hundreds of sporting contests were staged over a four-month period, most were not Olympic events.

There were no athletes from England, France or Sweden; even Pierre de Coubertin did not attend. According to one estimate, as many as 80 percent of the athletes were Americans.

Sports highlights for women were few. Women's golf and tennis, which were on the program in 1900, did not take place in St. Louis. Women competed in only one sport - archery.

The first Olympic winter competition outside Europe took place in the tiny New York village of Lake Placid. Located in the Adirondack Mountains, 480 kilometers (300 miles) north of American winter sports activity.

The economic depression of the 1930's and Lake Placid's distance from Europe adversely affected athletes' attendance. Only 17 nations sent athletes compared to 25 at St. Moritz in 1928.

Figure skating was a highlight of the Games, attracting capacity crowds for the first time in Olympic history. Although figure skating was the only "medal sport" for women at Lake Placid, Canadian and American women also competed in speed skating as a demonstration sport

Staged in the midst of a worldwide economic depression, the 1932 Games represented a triumph of the Olympic spirit. Organized on a grand scale, the Games attracted the athletes of 37 nations and more spectators than any previous Games.

Crowds of 100,000 filled the main stadium, the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, for Opening and Closing Ceremonies; 40,000 to 80,000 attended events there daily. An estimated 500,000 to 1 million people viewed the marathon.

Mild, pleasant weather throughout the Games contributed to outstanding athletic performances. Women set new records in every athletics (track and field) event at the Coliseum and all but one race at the outdoor swimming stadium.

Organizers spent nearly $9 million constructing new facilities. The organizing effort culminated with an Opening Ceremonies planned by Walt Disney. The athletes of 30 nations looked on as Vice President Richard Nixon declared the games open.

Squaw Valley was the first Winter Games seen by an American television audience. Another Squaw Valley "first" was the addition of speed skating as the fourth women's Olympic winter sport.

Meanwhile, the Lake Placid organizers had problems with cost overruns, ticket distribution and, during the first days of competition, the public transportation system.

None of these problems, however, detracted from the drama of the sports competition. For the host Americans, two stories were particularly dramatic. One was the surprising gold medal performance of the United States' ice hockey team. The other was the success of American speed skater Eric Heiden, who won five gold medals.

Competition took place throughout Southern California across an area encompassing 4,500 square miles. Three Olympic Villages, two in Los Angeles and one in Santa Barbara, were needed to house the athletes.

Led by Paul Ziffren and Peter Ueberroth, the organizing committee realized a surplus of $225 million following the Games. Sixty percent of the money was given to the United States Olympic Committee. The rest was used to create the Amateur Athletic Foundation of Los Angeles to promote youth sports.

Several new women's events appeared on the program including the first Olympic marathon.

The year 2009 is the 25^th anniversary of the 1984 Games.  For detailed information on the story of the Los Angeles Games and their legacy, click here.

The Games were marred by a bomb explosion in Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park on July 27, resulting in two deaths. Problems with transportation and computer systems, particularly during the first week, also plagued the Games. Public enthusiasm, however, remained high throughout the Games. Spectators purchased a record 8.6 million tickets, and massive crowds visited Centennial Park following its reopening on July 30

The German team won the most medals, 35, including 12 gold. Norwegian athletes won the second highest number of gold medals with 11. Meanwhile, United States athletes, perhaps benefiting from the "home field" advantage and heightened levels of financial support from the United States Olympic Committee, won 34 medals, their best Winter Games performance ever.

Norway's Ole Einar Bjoerndalen was the Games' most-decorated athlete, winning four gold medals in biathlon events. Janica Kostelic, of Croatia, was the star of alpine skiing, winning three gold medals and one silver.

Spectators, athletes, Olympic officials and the media widely praised the Salt Lake City Games. The venues were attractive, volunteers were friendly and helpful, transportation worked well and public gathering places such as the Olympic Medals Plaza in Salt Lake City and Main Street in Park City provided a festive atmosphere. Security throughout the Games was tight, but not overly obtrusive.

The Games, however, were not without controversy. In late 1998, revelations that the Salt Lake City Olympic bid committee had given money and other gifts to some members of the International Olympic Committee during the bidding process led to a major scandal. Four IOC members resigned because of their role in the scandal, the IOC expelled six other members, and the president and vice president of the organizing committee resigned.

During the first week of the 2002 Games, a public outcry arose following the pairs figure skating competition in which the judges' awarded the gold medal to a Russian pair and the silver to a Canadian pair. Many people believed that the Canadian pair should have won the event. Citing a recommendation of the International Skating Union, the IOC awarded two gold medals in the event - one to the Russians and another to the Canadians.

Improved drug testing methods also resulted in several athletes testing positive for prohibited substances. Three cross country skiers and one alpine skier were caught in post-event tests. The IOC revoked their medals in those events.